Pinterest & WNW Host a "Women in Creative" Happy Hour
MACKENZIE WEBER
Working Not Working joined The Studio at Pinterest at their San Francisco headquarters on November 8 for a "Women In Creative" happy hour series. We heard from some incredibly talented designers and creatives on their careers, the changes they have seen, and some of the challenges they have faced. The conversation also covered how these women are using their careers to support other women, both young and established, who are facing similar challenges.
WNW's Head of Growth, Emily Slade, spoke with Sadia Latifi, Head of Creative at Pinterest, Erika Olde, Founder and President of Black Bicycle Entertainment, and Elysa Fenenbock, First Designer-In-Residence at Google. The speakers talked about the importance of using their positions of power to not only encourage young girls to pursue their creative passions but also support the women around them in their careers and passions.
For Sadia Latifi, that means reaching out and connecting with her network to make sure the women around her are supported and encouraged to follow their dreams. "Tell someone you work with, or want to work with, what your aspirations are and you just never know how you might be connected to that thing or dream project leader… She had to articulate that to me because I would have never known. Tell as many people as possible what you want to do. It's worth it to say it out loud. "
In response to how to encourage and guide younger generations, Elysa Fenenbock added, "The best I can do right now is show up for them… I can show them what’s available. The reality though is that none of our jobs existed 3, 5, 6 years ago. The girls that are coming up now are also going to be taking on jobs that don’t exist, so I can’t show them what their paths are going to be, but what we can show them is that there are going to be people like them in creative spaces."
"Sometimes it is so simple... In Film, the biggest issue is the number of female filmmakers actually making films. Our grassroots movement is actually helping women get jobs and make films," Erika Olde said when talking about how her company is helping support women in the film industry.
Check out the full event video below to hear some great stories and insights into the women's lives and careers:
With a nod to Pinterest's Right The Ratio initiative, posters around the room reflected the designs of 9 WNW Members. You can see all the illustrations HERE.
See the gallery of the event photos below.
